He came out into the court, looking very tall in the night. "Are you surprised?" He kissed her. "Very! Very surprised!" "I thought I had had enough holiday, that I would get back. I only decided to-day, quite suddenly." "Then didn't you enjoy your holiday?" "I thought I was going to. I tried to. I even pretended to myself that I was enjoying it very much. But it was all subterfuge, I suppose, for to-day I found I must come back. The fact is I can't keep away from the opera." Charmian was conscious of a sharp pang. It felt like a pang of jealousy. "Have you had any dinner?" she asked, in a rather constrained voice. "Yes. I dined at Gruber's." She wondered why, but she did not say so. "I nearly stayed the night in town. I felt--it seemed so absurd my rushing back like this." He ended with a little laugh. "Who do you think is here?" she said. "Here?" He glanced round. "I mean in Algiers." He looked at her with searching eyes. "Someone we know well?" "Two people." "Tell me!" "No--guess!" "Women? Men?" "Men." "Sennier?" She shook her head. "Max Elliot?" "No. One is--Alston Lake." "Alston? But why isn't he up here, then?" "He has brought someone with him." "Whom?" "Jacob Crayford." "Crayford here? What has he come here for?" "He's taking a holiday motoring." "But to come to Algiers in summer!" "He goes everywhere, and can't choose his season. He's far too busy." "To be sure. Has he been to see you?" "Yes; he dined here yesterday and stayed till past midnight. He wants to see you. I meant to telegraph to you almost directly." "Wants to see me?" "Yes. Claude, last night I read the libretto of the opera to him and Alston." He was silent. It was dark in the court. She could not see his face clearly enough to know whether he was pleased or displeased. "Do you mind?" "Why should I?" "I think you sound as if you minded." "Well? What did Crayford think of it?" "He said, 'It's the best libretto since _Carmen_.'" "It is a good libretto." "He was enthusiastic. Claude"--she put her hand on his arm--"he wants to hear your music." "Has he said so?" "Not exactly; not in so many words; but he seemed very much put out when he found you weren't here. And, after he had heard the libretto, he suggested my telegraphing to you to come straight back." "Funny I should have come without your telegraphing." "It almost seems--" She paused. "What?" "As if you had been led to come back of your own accord, as if you had felt you ought to be here." "Are you glad?" he said. "Yes, now." "Did you mean--" "Claude," she said, taking a resolution, "I don't think it would be wise for us to seem too eager about the opera with Mr. Crayford." "But I have never even thought--" "No, no. But now he's here, and thinks so much of the libretto, and wants to see you, it would be absurd of us to pretend that he could not be of great use to us. I mean, to pretend to ourselves. Of course if he would take it it would be too splendid."